1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for combining a plurality of still images to generate a moving image and encoding the moving image, and to a program for causing a computer to execute such image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, special video effects have been applied to still images captured using devices such as digital cameras. Processing for applying special video effects is generally classified into the following two process groups.
A first process group includes processes for correcting the image quality of a still image. Examples of the processes include conversion of a still image from color to monochrome, production of a sepia-tone image from a still image, application of soft focus effect to a still image, enhancement of the outline of a still image to sharpen the still image, and addition and removal of noise to and from a still image.
A second process group includes processes for combining a plurality of still images and changing a combination ratio along a time axis to provide temporal transition from one of the still images to another one of the still images. Examples of the processes include a scene cut for providing instantaneous change from a certain still image to another still image, and scene crossfade for providing temporally gradual change from a certain still image to another still image.
An image processing apparatus uses a combination of the above first and second processes to display a moving image with a plurality of still images subjected to a desired video effect.
The image processing apparatus further encodes the generated moving image according to an encoding method such as Advanced Video Coding (AVC) so that the moving image can be stored in a predetermined storage medium with the storage capacity thereof being effectively utilized.
Moving images generated from video material such as still images as described above or computer graphics have higher quality than typical moving images such as video sequences, and a degradation of the image quality of such higher-quality moving images would tend to become more pronounced when the moving images are encoded.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-305895 describes a moving-image encoding apparatus in which when a moving image made of computer graphics material is encoded, a coordinate transformation matrix of each polygon is used to precisely detect a motion vector to thereby encode the moving image at a higher quality.